1. Social Change Implications
Relationship between Whole-Person Learning and Growth Mindset Marian Willeke, PhD
Limitations
External Validity
Treatment consistency Assumed curriculum was comparably applied across 4 institutions.
Participant self-awareness Asked for volunteer participation and expected higher scores only represent growth mindset increase.
Time span Not enough time to effect mindset change. Also, time related constraints at all institutions.
Instrument Did not find the survey instrument to be used for non-traditional learners.
Study Design
Population Complex ID numbering for pre and posttest matching
Treatment Professors were not involved, but literature points to their presence being essential for whole-person learning.
Data collection requirements Constraints around faculty involvement
Instrument Survey not a good fit for non-traditional learners.
Abstract
My study explored the relationship between whole-person learning and a growth mindset in first-generation learners. Whole-person learning was presented as a vehicle for developing a growth mindset. Mindset scores from first-generation learners exposed to and not exposed to whole-person learning were collected from four institutions using a pre/post-test design.
Relevant Literature
Whole-person learning as a catalyst for developing a growth mindset. It is defined as blending cognitive and affective taxonomies in the learning experience.
Growth mindset as an important component towards self-actualization. It is defined as a perception of control over intellect that determines how to handle threat, self-evaluation, and performance.
Application and measurement of a whole-person learning experience was based on cognitive and affective taxonomies.
Studies were found examining the impact of whole-person learning generally. None demonstrated scalability and program level implementation appeared be absent. There were many studies showing in-situ success for the individual classroom.
Studies were found examining the impact of mindset of the learning process, which supported the presence of affective outcomes as predictors of attitude and motivation. Attitude improved self-awareness and personal values while motivation improved motivational disposition, self-efficacy, and goal setting, correlating with growth mindset.
Studies were found examining the context of first-generation learners, finding that they are frequently non-traditional learners who have to deal with increased tension and responsibility. Also, they have the complexity of cultural mismatch and academic gap stressors.
The gap was that the effect of whole-person learning was not found in context of first-generation learners.
Procedures
Design: Quasi-experimental to expose the mindset survey to two separate groups of first-generation learners, with one group being exposed to whole-person learning and the other group not being exposed.
The presence of whole-person learning was the independent variable assumed to influence the dependent variable of mindset.
Sample: Recruitment of colleges that used whole-person learning was based on a webpage of colleges that used On Course curriculum. Colleges that did not use whole-person learning were recruited based on the researcher’s network of educators. A college liaison from each institution was assigned to distribute the survey URL with the consent form. The description of the research study and invitation to participate was sent by each liaison as a templated to the roster of pre-selected courses.
Instrumentation: Mindset scores were collected using Dweck’s Mindset Survey with complete samples consisting of both a pre-test and a matching post-test comparing the mindset scores of first-generation learners exposed to whole-person learning (n = 35) to the mindset scores of first-generation learners not exposed to whole-person learning (n = 2).
Problem
There is a lack of knowledge of whether whole-person learning can assist development of a growth mindset in the population of first-generation learners, which inhibits clarity of whether it should pervasive in degree programs.
As cognitive skills have increased since World War II due to improvements of nutrition, education, smaller families, and spatial games, emotional skills have decreased, resulting in depression, anger, anxiety, and impulsiveness. Lower affect and higher cognition has created an educational dissonance, narrowing the focus on cognitive matters. Whole-person learning is an awareness of cognition and affect during the learning experience.
The population of first-generation learners have also grown as a population in higher education since World War II as our society has shifted to knowledge work environments that require collegiate education.
Conclusions
Because no significant results were found, it is still not known if exposure to whole-person learning pre-disposes first-generation learners towards growth mindset. The experimental design in this study requires adjustment in regards to treatment and instrumentation to more appropriately align with the theory.
The literature presented had faculty strongly involved, thus the lack of faculty presence in this study is concerning to the potential effectiveness of the results.
Repeating this experiment with more attention to additional variables is necessary.
Social Change Implications
While it is still unknown if exposure to whole-person learning pre-disposes first-generation learners towards growth mindset, there was a positive implication in that Blacks appeared more pre-disposed to a journey of self-actualization when exposed to whole-person learning. The social change benefit for this implication is that an increased focus on affective learning may lead to higher success rates within academics, career, and personal satisfaction for Black first-generation learners.
Future research should include faculty training and engagement with whole-person learning. Also,
the development of an instrument more
conducive to measuring mindsets
for adult learners is needed.
Data Analysis
Because this sample did not produce an effective result, the overall population mean for the pre-test mindset score was compared to the overall population mean for the post-test mindset score instead of analyzing the difference for each person. As such, a mean analysis of the overall pretest and posttest score was conducted using a factorial ANOVA.
Purpose
The goal of this research study was to determine if whole-person learning is a mechanism that could be used to propel growth mindset and, eventually, according to theory, self-actualization.
The purpose of seeing if whole-person learning is a catalyst for growth mindset is to discover if this is an opportunity to further develop for the first-generation population to succeed both academically and in the competitive business organizations that focus in knowledge work.
Research Question
Is there a significant difference in mindset score between first-generation learners who experience whole-person learning and those who do not?
Findings
There was insufficient evidence to disprove the null hypothesis.
However, it was noted through one-way ANOVA demographic analysis that Black first-generation learners had significantly higher mindset mean score (7.1) than White first-generation learners.